That One Day at The Faire
by AvocadoLove
Summary: Zuko confesses to having second thoughts after joining the Gaang. Now what is Sokka supposed to do?


**That One Day At The Faire**

**Notes**:_ Written for the generous BlueTiger, the winner of the Help Haiti fandom auction on Live Journal. This story is set sometime in that ambiguous period after The Firebending Masters and before The Boiling Rock episodes. Thanks to Suzukiblu who was an extremely patient beta in the face of silly errors. :D _

**Warning**:_ This is a slashfic which contains m/m._

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_**OoOoOoO**

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After everything was said and done, there was no doubt in Sokka's mind that this had been all Aang's fault.

High summer was apparently the best time for Nomads' Faires in the Fire Nation. These were, as Aang excitedly explained, not Air Nomads, but the more conventional type, much like Lily and Chong. And since Aang had been diligently training – without even a day's break – for the past two weeks, he deserved to take the day off and go.

Zuko objected, of course. And oddly enough, so did Toph. But in the end it was three against one with Aang, Sokka, and Katara all for it.

"It sounds fun," Sokka said with a shrug. "Just as long as these nomads aren't the singing type."

"Admit it. You ended up liking Lily and Chong at the end," Katara shot back, eyebrow arched.

Sokka shook his head. "No thanks. I've had all the secret tunnels I can take for this lifetime."

"Tunnels?" Zuko asked, with that pinched, vaguely lost expression that he usually got when someone was talking about something that had happened when he had not been around… It happened a lot.

"Yeah," Sokka felt a wide grin cross his face – dangerous seeing how low Appa was flying; that was a good way to catch a surprise bug breakfast. "The one about two lovers, forbidden from one another?"

"A war divides their people," Aang added, in a decidedly singsong voice.

Toph had heard this story quite a few times before and chimed in, "And a mountain divides them apart…"

"They built a path to be together…" Katara added, her eyes glinting.

There was a beat as everyone looked at each other before: "SECRET TUNNEL! SECRET TUNNEL! THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS! SECRET, SECRET, TUNNEL!" They ended with a flourish, arms thrown about each other's shoulders.

Zuko just stared at them all with a glower of intense confusion on his face. Sokka almost, _almost_ took pity on him. He was usually the one to take the firebender aside and fill him in on all the need-to-know info. Then again, the less said about Chong and his group, the better.

So he just grinned in answer, and scooted closer to his sister to beg coins from the money pouch.

Aang landed Appa safely out of sight, and they hiked on foot to the village. Aang's memory was good: the Nomad Faire was indeed in town. The Nomads had set up shop on a large field; squeezing in a multitude of tents, booths and tables crammed with goods for sale. Brightly colored streamers and flags waved merrily about in the stiff breeze, each color apparently representing a different clan family.

Sokka was sure that he saw Zuko try to catch his eye once or twice, his face half hidden in the wide hood he wore in disguise, but not before he noticed Katara studying a list of groceries, her lips pursed in thought. Sokka made a quick break for it, knowing that his sister was about to rope him into shopping for supplies. He liked shopping, but it was no fun when you _had_ to do it.

He figured he'd scope the area out, make sure there were no bad guys with bright ideas to catch the Avatar running around, and then circle back to rescue Zuko from grocery shopping later on.

Besides, who else would be best to shop a Fire Nation faire but a Fire Nation guy?

Sokka browsed through the weapons tables first – Sokka had his own private opinion about the Fire Nation, but even he had to admit they were great at making a crazy amount of sharp, pointy objects. But the merchants kept giving him odd looks, and one or two of them asked – politely, but _still_ – why a fine healthy young man like himself was at the faire and not serving time in the army?

"It's my day off," Sokka replied easily, but thought it best to get out of sight. Fast.

There was another tent not too far off – one of the largest on the field, draped in long, rich red fabric with multicolored banners waving from the top. Still feeling the weight of the merchants' stare on his back, Sokka casually slipped in.

Then he stared.

As large as the tent was from the outside, the receiving area was surprisingly close and intimate. The room had been walled off with thick curtains a few shades darker than the royal red outside. A few Fire Nation citizens lounged about on overstuffed couches; too many bright pillows to count were thrown every which way and covered the floor like a second rug.

A warm, mellow voice spoke from the semi-darkness. "Welcome to my humble abode, dear. Come have a seat and relax."

Sokka turned to see an older woman by the door. She wore a patterned pink robe, loose and flowing, with her dark hair swept up in an elegant bun. There was something in her stiff posture that reminded him, oddly enough, of Aunt Wu. She smiled at him, perhaps reading the hesitation on his face, and gestured to a soft pile of pillows nearby.

"Uh, okay." He took his seat on a large green pillow, looking about him with wide eyes. There was something about the other people in the room – the too-casual way they held themselves – that stood the hair up on the back of his neck. And somewhere, muffled behind thick curtain walls, he could hear some kind of grunting, panting noises. Rhythmic thumping. Did they keep animals here?

The woman smiled again and followed his gaze to the loungers. One young lady gave him a lazy wave. "Do you see something you like, dear?"

Then it hit him.

Sokka bolted back upright so fast that a pillow went sailing from the pile and joined the others on the floor. "I'm in a – I mean you're a—" His jaw snapped thankfully shut over his next words.

The madam seemed to know what he was going to say, but still graced him with a wan smile. "I prefer to think of myself as a… matchmaker of sorts. And I see your heart has been taken by a pretty pair of eyes." She paused, tilting her head. "Or perhaps not so pretty after all."

_Huh?_ Sokka wondered, then shook himself. "Look, I don't need—" Whores. Pity. This headache, "Your matchmaking. I'll have you know I'm very good with the ladies. I've been kissed… a lot. Once by an actual princess."

She nodded in a very understanding way, all the while guiding him effortlessly back to the pillows. "Yet here you are."

"On accident!"

A particularly vibrant scream echoed from some far chamber in the back, and Sokka looked around, realizing he had somehow again taken his seat. Before he could raise a protest, his hostess was handing him a warm cup of tea. "Drink up, dear. Don't worry… I won't bite. I just want to have a chat."

Sokka did, only because he never refused food – as a rule. He glanced around, feeling extremely self-conscious. The three people on the next couch over weren't paying him a bit of mind any longer. In fact, the woman had sandwiched herself between two men and was currently kissing one while her hand fell back massaging the crouch of the man behind her. Sokka watched, with mouth suddenly very dry and feeling a hot, primal stir in his groin.

He took a shaky gulp of tea.

The madam smiled at him. "What should I call you?"

"Wang. Wang Fire." The pseudo name came out almost without him thinking – and took on a whole new meaning altogether now he was watching those people… do what they were doing.

"Ah." The madam followed his gaze, still smiling that soft, understanding smile. "She is much like you. She keeps the balance."

"W-what?" He was hardly listening. The man in front had pressed into the woman with a growl. She spread her thighs, one shapely leg encircling his waist while her busy hand encircled the man in back, opening his trousers and pleasuring him with a slow, steady pump.

"You'd best drink up, dear," the madam advised.

Sokka looked down into his cup and saw to his surprise that the tea was already half gone. He took another sip, hardly tasting its bitterness on his tongue, his eyes glued in fascination to the three in front of them.

The madam spoke to him again, and he grunted an affirmative – although honestly he wasn't sure what she had said. His eyes were glued to the scene and he didn't notice at first how things had gone all fuzzy around the edges. How colors and sounds were slowly melting together…

The teacup, three quarters empty, tumbled out of his hands.

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**OoOoOoO**

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In the next few hours, everything Sokka seemed to know about reality flew right out the window. Time slowed and sped up on him – alternating in waves that ebbed and flowed, receding and surging forward. Sometimes all at the same time.

Sokka passed a hand over his eyes – there was nothing blocking his vision, but he could not see.

He could only feel.

His clothes were gone, lost in a haze he didn't care enough to remember. The air moist, scented with the sounds of moaning all around him… inside his head. Coming from him. Hands, hot and dry, gripping his biceps with strength enough to bruise. He was pushed down, held to the mattress. Sokka arched, tried to twist away only to have the other pin him down – a male's body, taunt in excitement, trembling against his.

Warm breath spilled across his neck, followed by teeth – nipping, then sucking at the spot so that Sokka cried out… he heard himself cry out, as if from very far away – something ragged and needy.

Sokka jacked his hips up, grinding his arousal with the other's. The other gave a choked sound – familiar, somehow, and wriggled his hand down between their two bodies.

A hot coil of arousal grew, doubled, redoubled until he was crazy with it. Until the hands, the touching, the heat in the air and on his tongue all melded together and it _still _wasn't enough…

"Hurry," Sokka panted. One hand gripped the other's wrist, guided him to his erection.

If the fingers were clumsy, Sokka didn't notice. Didn't care. Lights he could not see spun dully over his head. He was breathing in the other's breath, sucking in his tongue. Naked. Writhing his body up and against the other, and his hand… his hand…

"Harder," he pleaded/whispered/thought. And the other did, and Sokka came so hard he seemed to exit his own body – watching himself from above, as if he was in a dream.

It was all a dream.

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**OoOoOoO**

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Sokka came back into awareness very slowly, like a swimmer lazily trying to reach the surface in a pool filled with cotton and fluff.

His first sane thought was that he was overheated. The second was that he was really sticky.

He shifted slightly. The comfortable weight on top of him was not a pile of blankets and animal skins. It was another person, apparently using his shoulder as a pillow – limbs draped almost possessively over him. And Sokka could see again… at least somewhat. The room was dark and he could only make out distant outlines and shapes – undulating bodies far off in the corner with accompanying gasps and breathless moans.

"Wait," he heard his own voice say, and a headache settled behind his eyes as he woke up a little more, "Wait. What was in that tea?"

The person burrowed into his shoulder stirred slightly. Sokka pushed on him none too gently to get him to move. He lifted his head and…

"Zuko?"

The other boy looked at him and… Yeah, there was definitely something wrong in that gaze. Not the normal oh-wow-I-just-woke-up-stark-naked-next-to-my-friend wrong. His light gold eyes were wide, unfocused. Seeing, but not processing.

Abruptly Zuko's hot, dry hands clamped down on Sokka's biceps again. Before, Sokka had been too horny (and possibly out of his mind) to care. Now…

"Zuko! Ow. Zuko, it's me!" Sokka hissed, very much aware that he was surrounded by walls made of thin fabric.

Zuko's lip curled upwards in something that might have been a smile – a half-sort of drunken leer that really didn't belong on his face. "You," he repeated, his voice dull and thick.

"Me," Sokka confirmed. "Sokka, remember? The boomerang guy? Um… you can let go now."

Zuko stared at him, still unseeing, his face brought so close in the dim light that their noses were almost touching. And then, abruptly, he kissed him.

Sokka stiffened for a moment in shock – tried to protest with a sound that came out sounding like, "Nugh—" but the feel of those strong, thin lips was… oddly familiar. Sokka closed his eyes, and with a mental "What the hell," deepened it.

Zuko was not a half-bad kisser, for all that the guy was horribly awkward in every other social interaction. Best of all, while Sokka allowed the kiss, Zuko released his death-grip on his arms, putting an elbow instead to each side of his head. He curled up slightly, rocking forward to drag his erection up against Sokka's thigh –

That action jolted Sokka back to reality in an instant. Breaking the kiss, he shoved the other boy hard, toppling Zuko off him. The firebender flailed – limbs oddly sluggish as if he couldn't quite remember how to work them – and Sokka took advantage of the opportunity to reverse their positions, nearly sitting on Zuko's thighs and holding his wrists down by his sides.

"Trust me. You'll thank me later when you come off that tea," Sokka said, grimly.

Zuko winced, his head lolling back and fourth and blinking rapidly – not fighting, but confused. Almost lost. "Tea? Uncle always made the tea…"

"Not this stuff. How much did you drink?"

Zuko only groaned in reply, neck arching. Sokka didn't want to look down, but did anyway and saw how clearly aroused he was. Sokka swallowed, hard. Scar aside, Zuko wasn't built badly. An attractive flush colored his face and spilled like thin wine down his neck; his arms and chest heavy with muscle as he writhed, a little helpless.

Whatever the drug in the tea was doing for the other boy, it must have been good. Zuko arched again, his thighs flexing under Sokka's weight. "Touch me… Please…"

Those words had an effect on him: the pleasant tingle of desire he'd been trying to ignore flared up at once, and with it the hazy memory of those clumsy fingers – Zuko's, he realized now – closing around him.

Sokka let out a long, unsteady, breath. "Um," he said. "Look, I—"

Zuko's eyes snapped open at his words. His body tensed under him at once, and almost without warning. He focused on Sokka's face, or perhaps a spot just over his shoulder. It was tough to tell. "No," he said, his gaze was intent, unfocused. All the desire gone, now replaced with hard intent. "He's going to kill him."

"Huh?"

The other teen moved, hooked a leg around Sokka and flipped them so their positions were reversed yet again, Zuko on top, only this time Sokka felt hard fingers on his neck. Not pressing in, not yet, but there all the same like an implied threat.

"Aang." Zuko's eyes were wider now. Sokka could see the white around the good one. "He's not ready for what he has to do… Doesn't want to be ready… Would rather play than train."

Sokka gave a weak laugh even as he slowly brought his hands up, ready to defend himself. Zuko wasn't in his right mind. "Yeah, well that's Aang for ya."

"I could... I could do it… It would be a mercy."

Sokka's stomach gave an unpleasant clench. "You could do what?"

Zuko blinked into the air for a few long moments. "I could alert the airships," he whispered. "They trust me now… Take them all back to my father..."

Sokka struck him, hard, across the face. Zuko's head snapped to the side. He blinked again, raising a hand halfway to his cheek as if surprised. So Sokka hit him again, missing his mark and striking his shoulder. It was still enough to knock Zuko away, and Sokka followed him, nearly spitting in anger. "You promised!" he yelled. He wanted to hit him again, harder, but the limp, vacant way Zuko's head rolled to the side made him think twice. So instead, Sokka just grabbed his shoulders. It was hard not to shake him. "You were on our side! Toph said you were… you were good!"

"I know…"

"So you don't care?"

"That's why I couldn't," Zuko said, and Sokka paused, chest heaving, staring down at him. "I couldn't disappoint him. Sokka…. But he's going to die." Zuko trailed off, and he shut his eyes. He seemed either not to notice or to care he had been hit at all.

And he slumped… the rage draining away in an instant, leaving him tired and dazed, and he had to admit he might not be totally over the tea either.

Looking at him, Sokka wondered how much was crazy-tea rambling and how much had been the truth. He dragged a hand down his face. "When you're sober," he said. "You and I? We're having a long talk."

Zuko nodded tiredly and said, "Okay. Just don't tell Sokka."

"Too late," Sokka muttered.

Abruptly the other teen reached up, cradling his jaw with one hand – a strange, almost tender motion. "Don't tell him," Zuko said, and shut his eyes once more.

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A few hours later, the effects of the tea had worn off at least enough for Sokka to go find their clothing, and for Zuko to dress himself. Both of their money bags were gone, and that "matchmaker" woman was nowhere to be found, but Sokka was far too heartsick and hungover to really care.

The flight back home was long and awkward. Everyone had a great time – Aang and Katara talked nearly non-stop of the dancing and firebending demonstrations. Toph showed off a large sack filled with gold coins she had won by cheating fellow gamblers.

Sokka and Zuko sat on either end of the bison saddle, headache thumping into their skulls… looking everywhere but at each other.

Sokka kept his promise. He visited Zuko the very next night.

He took Boomerang and Space-Sword along with him, just in case.

The room that they had given to Zuko was empty of all light, save for a single candle set by the bedside. Zuko was up, sitting on the edge of the bed with his head bowed and his hands clasped lightly between his knees. He seemed to be waiting for him, and couldn't quite bring himself to look up as Sokka knocked on the open door.

"I didn't think that you would wait," Zuko said, in resigned greeting.

"Yeah, well you know that they say…" But in actuality, Sokka really didn't. And the silence that fell between them was heavy and awkward. Eventually, Sokka cleared his throat. "So..."

Zuko shook his head and let out a long sigh. "I should have known better. I heard about those sort of, um, bordellos. Some are run honestly and some—" He broke off, shaking his head. "It's what they do… drug people up, and throw them in together before running off with anything they had of value. I'm just glad it was you I ended up with instead of, well… You know." And he lifted his head, peering at Sokka through a curtain of black hair as if to judge his reaction.

Sokka knew he was blushing, could feel the heat of it on his own cheeks. This wasn't the time, though. Not until they cleared a few things up first. He set his jaw, concentrating on the safe weight of his weapons on his back. Zuko's dual swords, he noticed, were on the other side of the room, far out of arm's reach. Then again, the guy didn't exactly need to reach for anything to be deadly. He decided to get to the point.

"That stuff that they gave you made you a little chatty."

Zuko stilled. "Oh?"

"Yeah, you wouldn't shut up." Which wasn't the exact truth, but Sokka figured he could get away with some embellishments. "Like how you were thinking of going to the Fire Nation about where we were hiding out. Delivering Aang back to Daddy-dearest."

This was it. Sokka casually changed the weight of his stance as he spoke, centering himself on the balls of his feet just in case he had to jump out of the way to avoid a fireblast to his face. Zuko, though, didn't move. His shoulders slumped, as if he was deflating.

"It… crossed my mind once or twice," he said, and put his face in his hands. His next few words were muffled. "Or more."

And again, a long silence between them where Zuko seemed to have no intention of getting up, and Sokka didn't move, didn't reach for his sword.

"So, what are you going to do?" Sokka asked. "Because you know what? I like you, Zuko. You never said it, but I know that you gave up a lot to join us. So if you can't take being here and fighting against the Fire Lord… I mean, really, really can't, then you can just go. I'll be a nice guy and let you run."

Zuko dropped his hands from his face as he spoke; stared up at Sokka. "You… like me?"

"Yeah, well it's not every guy that I let—Look, that's not the point!" he snapped. "What's your deal, Zuko? Did you just figure 'Oh well, we're going to lose anyway so I might as well just cut my losses?'"

"Yes! I mean, no. I mean… I don't know!" Zuko stood in his agitation, making Sokka back away a step. But he only turned half-aside, running his hands through his hair. And suddenly Sokka had a flash of himself doing that, back in the room. He remembered, vividly, how soft yet coarse that hair felt between his fingers as they kissed…

"I told you the truth when I first came here. I wanted to bring the world back into balance." Zuko said, completely unaware of Sokka's mental distraction. "I just didn't expect for the Avatar – for _Aang_ to be such a spaz. Or for you to—" He paused again, his eyes meeting with Sokka's. "To be you. And I'm worried, okay? You don't know how it will be, what Fire Lord Ozai is like."

Sokka's eyes traveled to Zuko's scar at those words. No one had spoken of it since the firebender had joined their group. No one had asked, and Zuko had not volunteered any information. But they all knew.

"None of us are ready," Zuko continued, "Least of all Aang. So yes, sometimes I… I'm wondering if I'm wasting my time or if execution by fire squad wouldn't be less painful."

Sokka's hand twitched towards the boomerang at his side. "So you thought you'd go back to the other side, before the going got tough. Is that it?"

"_No_!" Zuko snarled the word, clenched fists sparking at his side. "For the first time, I am doing what I want to do. I'm doing the _right _thing, and I am not giving up. I'm not turning myself or anyone else in. But I just can't get through to him, Sokka. Aang just… He only puts the effort into firebending when he feels like it. I don't know if he's afraid or… or what!"

Sokka felt himself relax millimeter by millimeter as Zuko spoke, and by the end of it he let out a low laugh. "Well, that's just Aang. I love the guy like a little brother, but he's driven every teacher of his nuts one way or another." He grinned, remembering. "Including pushing Katara into a snit-fit right after she stole that waterbending scroll. And Toph actually ran off." And Zuko was apparently frustrated enough to bat around the idea of turning himself and everyone else to the Fire Nation. Yeah, Aang sure had an effect on people. "Maybe you should talk to them about it. Get some tips?"

Zuko let out a low sound in reply, that might have been a laugh. "Your sister hates me and I accidently burned Toph's feet."

"Give them more credit. They care about Aang even more than they dislike you." Sokka thought about his words for a moment. "Well maybe not Katara, but Toph for sure. Besides, I think she's mostly over the burned foot thing anyway."

Zuko just groaned, shaking his head

After a beat, where Sokka figured that if there was going to be fighting and sudden betrayal, it would have already happened by now, he shrugged and swung his sword off his back, choosing to sit on the bed. "Let me tell you something about Team Avatar."

"You guys actually have a name for yourselves?"

"Hey, it was either that or the Aang Gaang. Now come here." He patted the spot next to him, on the bed.

Zuko visibly hesitated. Sokka thought he caught a flash of some of the intense heat from two nights before in his eyes. But he only bobbed his head awkwardly and sat down – putting an exact hand-span space between their bodies.

Sokka honestly wasn't sure if he was happy about that or not.

"Here's the thing," he said. "When it just started out it was me and Katara and Aang."

"I remember," Zuko said, dryly.

"Right. Well, you may have noticed that Aang pretty much goes along with whatever Katara feels. So that meant we were always heading off on other directions, like that time Aang wanted to stop off at Kyoshi Island to ride the elephant-koi."

The firebender made an outraged sort of sound in the back of his throat. "I _thought_ you guys headed that way to throw me off the trail."

Sokka said nothing, just grinned and went on. "Yeah, well with those two making the decisions I got outvoted… a lot. Then after Toph joined the group, she and Katara clashed about how to train Aang. But she sided with me, most of the time, and would sort of push Aang into it as well." He shrugged. "Katara followed along. Now you're here." He stopped, waiting patiently for Zuko to fill in the blanks. When the other boy didn't speak, Sokka said, "What I'm trying to say is that, for better or worse, you're one of us now. If you have a good idea, me and Toph will be onboard. Three against two."

Zuko was silent for a long while, his gaze focused on the bed. Finally, he gave a little bit of a nod. "Thanks, Sokka. That helps… I think."

"No problem," he said airily, lounging back on his elbows.

He caught a flash of that heated, smoldering look again – just for an instant. Sokka gulped and ignored the sudden urge to sit up again. It was no big deal, really. That tea made them both a little crazy. Still… "So, do you want to talk about—"

"No," Zuko said, firmly. As if he was reading Sokka's mind. It was still mostly dark in the room, but Sokka could see a spot on the side of his pale neck that his hair did not cover. It was slowly turning a pale red – Zuko's face was turned away, but he was blushing.

No, Sokka thought, with a heavy sort of dread in his stomach. It looked like they had to talk about this, too. Especially if Zuko wanted to keep training Aang – if they were going to see each other every day.

He reached to grip the other boy's shoulder, but Zuko turned, quick as a striking viper-rat and caught his wrist in his hand. He expected Zuko to be angry, but now that he was facing him, Sokka could see that he was smiling slightly.

"I have some ideas, about Aang's training," Zuko said, still holding Sokka's wrist. "I think he would do better without distractions. There are some deserted spots not too far from here… I could take him there."

"Katara won't like it," Sokka said, trying to ignore the fact he felt oddly breathless.

Zuko leaned in, well inside his personal space. "Katara is one of the distractions I'm worried about."

"_I_ don't like it." Sokka wasn't an idiot. Even though Zuko seemed to have calmed down after their little talk, he was still too new to the team. Still mostly an unknown.

But Zuko simply quirked his remaining eyebrow. "You can come with us if you want."

"Oh? Ohhhh." Sokka caught on – or at least he was pretty sure he was catching on, especially when Zuko's thumb stroked the inside of his wrist, right along the joint. The other boy was blushing again, but his light gold eyes met Sokka's steadily.

He was giving Sokka an out, which was… nicer, somehow, than he expected Zuko to ever be. Then again, he was finding out all sorts of new things about the firebender in the past few days he'd never expected.

Sokka put a free finger to his chin, pretending to think. "I don't know," he said, slowly. "I think I'm going to need a little more convincing than that if you want my vote."

Zuko's eyes gleamed and he closed the gap between them. The kiss was awkward – with nothing like the easy acceptance the drugged tea had provided for them two nights ago. Sokka was leaning back and so had to duck his head, and Zuko had to stretch upwards to reach him, and for a few moments there was more teeth and bumping of noses than was strictly comfortable, but…

Sokka parted his lips slightly, and Zuko finally figured out an angle that would work – dropping Sokka's wrist and sliding one hand to the back of his neck to steady him. The touch on his neck sent a rolling shiver up and down Sokka's spine and he slid a hand up into Zuko's soft and strangely course hair; deepening the kiss, demanding more from him.

He explored the inside of Zuko's mouth and it was so good, better now that he had a clear head and he was re-remembering how he tasted, how he felt…

Zuko was the one to break the kiss. He did it almost apologetically, lipping at the side of Sokka's mouth and his chin before he pulled back to breathe. And his eyes… his eyes were so bright, they were nearly molten.

"I want to try something," he said. "I saw it in the front room of the bordello."

Sokka's mind stuttered to a halt. He could only think: _Where are we going to find the girl?_ And then became indignant, because he wasn't sure he even _wanted_ to share…

But Zuko was ducking his head, placing soft kisses to Sokka's neck, his fingers working at the clasps of Sokka's pants.

Then it occurred to him that Zuko may have seen a totally different show than himself.

"Sure," Sokka breathed – or squeaked – as the clasps lacing his pants came loose. Zuko jerked the hem of the trousers down quickly, sliding them from Sokka's ass to his thighs. Then, after a final peck to Sokka's neck, he shuffled down.

Sokka had leaned back on his elbows again, but nearly fell flat on the bed when Zuko's lips encircled his cock. "Gah!"

Instantly Zuko had jerked back, with a look of concern. "Is it bad?" he asked.

"Nonono!" Sokka had never shaken his head so fast.

Another half smirk and Zuko ducked down again. This time Sokka was prepared for the sensation, for the slick, wet heat around him and –oh, OH. Zuko's tongue…

Zuko bobbed his head, almost in experimentation, and there was a slight bump of teeth, but Sokka didn't care. His hands gripped at the covers, curling them up in sweaty fistfuls as he tried not to thrust up sharply, but it was hard.

One hand found Zuko's hair again, threading through it, gripping it hard when he made an odd, fluttery motion with his tongue that Sokka definitely approved of.

His breath was coming out in short pants, harsh even to his own ears. One knee hooked over Zuko's shoulder, letting the other teen get to a better angle. Sokka moaned and… "I'm going to… Zuko, I'm gonna…"

His orgasm rocked though him a second later. Sokka bit his own lip rather than cry out, a guttural sound escaping instead. He was aware, acutely of Zuko removing his mouth at the last second, but his own pleasure had crested and the other boy was against him, riding it out.

When Sokka opened his eyes a moment later. Zuko was lying on the bed, his head at about at Sokka's waist height. He was breathing deeply and when Sokka looked down, there was clear evidence that he found the whole experience fairly arousing – if Sokka wanted to go by the tent in his pants.

"Come'ere," Sokka said.

Zuko's eye narrowed. "You don't have to."

"Come on," Sokka repeated, feeling lazy and calm in the afterglow. He lifted one arm in invitation and when Zuko slid next to him, he kissed him.

He wasn't sure if he was expecting much of a difference in taste, considering what Zuko had just been, um, doing. It wasn't bad, a little bitter perhaps, and when Sokka stroked his tongue against his, Zuko let out a soft little moan that would have turned his bones to liquid, if they already weren't.

Sokka let his hands travel up and down Zuko's body, exploring the other teen, opening his shirt and running his hands up his chest – exacting a little revenge in his opinion, for waiting so long to talk about Aang and letting frustration almost blow up into something disastrous.

Only when Zuko grabbed his wrist again and pushed him down where he clearly wanted him to go did Sokka get down to business.

He felt Zuko shiver through the kiss, and the other's arms wrapped around him, clenching his tunic in his fists in one hand and cupping his ass with the other. His fingers closed around Zuko's cock – damp and slightly sticky from precum.

Sokka wasted no time, taking Zuko in a tight grip that he himself enjoyed. Zuko shut his eyes tight and thrust into the hand, into Sokka himself as he was gripping him so tightly, pulling him hard, tight against him.

There was something familiar about that – from the half-formed memory in the tea-haze. But Sokka pushed it aside, ducking his head to nip Zuko's strong jaw and where it met his neck.

Zuko didn't last long. His grip on Sokka tightened past the point of pain and there was a distinct flash of heat. Then Zuko sagged, shuddering against Sokka's chest.

Nothing was said between them for a long time – only the sound of breathing while the candle flickered, burnt half down.

"All right," Sokka said, at length. "Just one question."

"Hmm?"

"How are you supposed to get _any_ training done if I ride along?"

Zuko was quiet for a moment. Then, "Hot squats. I assign him lots and lot of hot squats. Builds muscles."

"Sounds good," Sokka said, as Zuko's hand curled around the back of his neck and tugged him down for another kiss.

* * *

_~ Fin ~_


End file.
